Always You
by SweetEnigma
Summary: She gets a job with the BAU. She's happy, because she'll get to see him again. Along the way, misunderstandings, age, and drama get in their way. Will they make it?Rated M For Smut and language.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or any other publicly recognizable anythings. I merely own the plot, my OC and a potty mouth.**

**Thank you to my beta for reading over this!**

She quickly got up, and went about her morning routine. She went to the bathroom, washed her hands, brushed her teeth and her hair and pulled it back into a ponytail. She walked back into her bedroom and slipped on clean undergarments, and a pair of yoga shorts and a tank top. She slipped on her converse and grabbed her gym bag, keys and wallet before heading out of the house. Tossing her gym bag in the passenger's seat when she climbed into her midnight blue SUV, she started the vehicle and quickly pulled out of her driveway after making sure it was clear.

She pulled into the gym about 20 minutes later and shut off the vehicle. Climbing out, she grabbed her gym bag and locked up the SUV before entering the gym. Setting her gym bag on a bench, she dug through it before pulling out her padded fingerless gloves and quickly putting them on. She stretched her arms and popped her neck before walking over to the punching bag and bouncing on the balls of her feet before striking the punching bag. She continued throwing punches at the bag, and landing a few kicks. A shrill ringing ripped through the gym and broke her concentration long enough for the bag to swing back and smack into her, knocking her onto her ass. She grunted and stood up, rubbing her face before walking over to her gym bag and grabbing her phone.

"Rodriguez" She answered without looking at the caller ID.

"Hello Ms. Rodriguez. I'm Aaron Hotchner with the BAU." A gruff voice said from the other line.

"Oh, hello sir" She said, feeling a little nervous. It'd been a long time since she spoke to him.

"I was told to call and tell you some news. You've gotten the job." Agent Hotchner said. She couldn't believe it.

"Holy sh-Thank you so much sir." She said excitedly.

"How long until you can come?" Was the reply.

"Um…maybe a week?" She said, blinking slightly.

"Sounds good, Ms. Rodriguez. See you then" And then he hung up. She put her phone in her bag and grabbed her towel out of the bag and wiped her face. A smile broke out and spread across her face.

A few hours later, she sat and listened as her parents bickered at each other from across the table. She had called her parents to her house for dinner so she could tell them the news, but it seems as though they just wanted to argue with each other. Finally, she got fed up with their bickering and slammed her hand on the table, drawing both of their attention to her.

"I have to tell you both something" She said, staring at them both.

"You're pregnant" Is her mother's statement, and a surge of hurt hits her.

"No, mother" She sneered at the woman. "I am certainly not pregnant. I've gotten a job" She snapped. Her father looks at her curiously.

"Where at, pumpkin?" He asked.

"In Quantico, Virginia" She sighed.

"For what company?" He asked again. She looked at her father and smiled a little.

"With the Behavioral Analysis Unit." She said and that was when shit hit the fan. Both of her parents started screaming at her. Her mother yelling about how 'irresponsible' she was for wanting a dangerous job and her dad yelling at her mother. She could only take about 10 minutes of it before she had enough. "I'm taking the job, and there isn't a damn thing you can do about it." She snapped and stormed out of the dining room and over to the coat rack. "I'm going for a walk" And she slammed the door behind her. The more she walked away from her own home, the less she could hear her parents screaming. She thought that after 18 years, they would have gotten over the divorce, but they sure as hell haven't.

She walked around her neighborhood in Chicago for a little bit before finally heading back home. She warily walked in her front door, and noticed how quiet it was.

"She went home" Her father said as she walked into the living room. Her father looked so tired, and she supposed he was.

"Good" She said shortly, tossing her jacket onto her couch.

"Alanis" He started and she just held her hand up, stopping him from continuing.

"Daddy, I know what you're going to say. You're going to say she only worries for me, but I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself. She didn't care when I was younger, so why start now?" She sighed, rubbing her forehead. She stared at her father for a moment, and then he sighed, knowing his daughter was right.

"I know." He kissed her forehead. "I'm going home. Call me before you leave" He made her promise, and then he left.

Alanis slumped onto her couch, completely exhausted. She eventually just fell asleep on her couch, not bothering to take off her jeans or shoes.

Over the next few days, Alanis made phone calls. She secured a house in Quantico, and shipped her furniture out to the house. She had her clothes and books, and other things packed in boxes, and packed in the back of her SUV. She had the gas and electric turned on in the new house, and the water. She had everything in her old home shut off.

As promised, she called her dad before she set out on the road. It took her about 11 and a half hour to make it to Virginia. By the time she got there, it was about 3 in the afternoon. She pulled into her new driveway and pulled the keys out of the ignition.

She looked up at her new house and smiled. It was an English style home. She got out of the vehicle, and walked up her porch steps and unlocked the front door. Her breathe caught as she took in the home. Of course she had seen it on the computer, but there was nothing like seeing it in person.

Double staircases in the entrance hall lead to the upstairs of the home. The flooring all throughout the entire downstairs were blonde wood and the walls were white. The ceilings were open beam, and white. She went into the kitchen and smiled widely.

The entire kitchen was black and white, the appliances were stainless steel. There was a center island, and it also had a breakfast bar attached. The walls were white brick.

She went out to her car and started carrying in boxes. It took her about 2 hours to get all the boxes inside. She hopped in the shower, put on a pair of jeans, and long sleeved thermal green shirt, and her black flat boots. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. She slid on her jacket and got into her SUV and drove to the BAU.

When she pulled up outside of the building, she took a deep breath and locked up her vehicle, and then walked into the building. She got in the elevator and hit the button. When the doors opened a few minutes later, she stepped out of it and opened the doors to the bullpen.

"Agent Rodriguez" Agent Hotchner held his hand out, and the young woman shook it.

"Aaron…I mean Agent Hotchner" She smiled a little.

"What are you doing here so early?" He questioned, letting her hand go.

"I just got in today, and thought I'd come check everything out" She said truthfully. Aaron Hotchner stared at her for a few moments before nodding.

"Come, I'll introduce you to the team" He lead her by her elbow over to group of desks. "Agent Rodriquez, this is SSA Emily Prentiss, SSA Derek Morgan, and Doctor Spencer Reid" He pointed out each one. Alanis smiled widely.

"Nice to meet you all" She held her hand out to all three and they shook her hands. "I'm Alanis Rodriguez." She said.

"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes" A voice chuckled, and she turned out, spotting Rossi.

"David" She smiled, walking over to the older agent and giving him a hug.

"So good to see you, Alanis" He chuckled, returning the hug. Alanis pulled away, a smile still on her face. "How'd your dad take the news?" He asked her.

"As he always does, greatly. Mom flipped" She shrugged. Both David and Aaron nodded, knowing her parents and how they tend to be.

"Ah, she'll come around" Rossi wrapped an arm around her shoulders and both turned back to look at the team. The three looked confused, and mildly surprised.

"You know each other?" Morgan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes" Alanis said, the two older agents nodded.

"Can I ask how?" Emily questioned.

"Now isn't the time" Hotch said.

"Hey guys, oh who is this?" A feminine voice asked. A woman with long blonde hair and a smile stood beside Reid.

"Alanis Rodriguez, you would be…?" Alanis stuck her hand out.

"Jennifer Jareau" The other women shook her hand.

"Nice to meet you" Alanis said.

"Alanis, take a few days off. Settle in. We don't have a case currently" Hotch said. Alanis nodded and said goodbye to the team, and left.

When she got home, she pulled off her boots and then went to her room, quickly changing into pajama's that she pulled out of one of her boxes and climbed into her bed (the one thing she put together, so that she wouldn't have to sleep on the floor).


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Still don't own Criminal Minds and it makes me sad.**

It took Alanis a few days to put the furniture in the rooms they go in, and to have most of the boxes unpacked. She scrubbed everything clean and put them exactly where they belong.

Just as she's putting the last few touched onto the kitchen, her cell phone rings, "Rodriguez" She said.

"We have a case" Hotch says.

"I'll be there in 10" She hangs up and grabs her go bag, and locks her house up, and then gets in her SUV and heads straight for the BAU. "What's going on?" She asked as soon as they were in the briefing room.

"Please sit down. We need to wait for Penelope" Hotch said. Alanis nodded and sat down at the table, next to Derek. A few moments later, what could only be described as a human tornado breezed into the room. "Garcia" Hotch nodded and Penelope nodded, and started to flip through pictures on the screen.

"Hello my little peaches. Sorry this isn't fun, but…Young women, all beaten to death. Each body dumped out in the desert of Arizona. Each body had samples of semen" Penelope continued flipping through the pictures. There were about 8 women so far, from what the pictures showed.

"From what I can tell, it doesn't seem like rape" Alanis said, staring at the pictures.

"And from the coroner reports, it shows that it wasn't done post-mortem."Reid continued.

"Wheels up in 30" Hotch dismissed everyone and left the room.

Alanis stood up and bumped into Derek. "Sorry, Agent Morgan" She apologizes.

"No need to be sorry, beautiful" He smiled, and she can admit that she swooned a little. What woman in their right mind wouldn't? Alanis slightly blushed a little, and swept out of the room with her go bag. She hung her badge around her neck, and slid her gun into her bag after making sure the safety was on.

"Ready to go, Ally?" Rossi smiled, standing beside her desk. Alanis nodded and went to reach for her bag, but he beat her to it. "I got it, come on. You can ride with me" He said. She nodded and followed beside Rossi as they went out to the parking lot. Rossi put their bags in the backseat, and Alanis got in the passenger's seat as David climbed into the driver's seat.

They got to the jet in a matter of minutes, and Alanis grabbed her bag and handed David his. She climbed onto the jet first, and put her bag up in the overhead compartment. She sat in one of the seats that were around a table. She set the file on the table and opened it up as the others got onto the jet.

"I see you're already looking at the file" Hotch said. She nodded, silently reading through the file. A few moments later, everyone settled into their seats. Derek sat beside her, Rossi directly across from her and Hotch beside him. Reid, JJ and Emily all sat across from the table in separate seats. Each one of them had a file open before the jet took off.

"The photo's show hand prints around the women's necks. Maybe the male was just really into rough sex?" Prentice suggested.

"I don't think markings were done during the sex. I mean, I've never seen rough sex lead to death." Morgan said, shrugging.

Alanis stared at the file for a minute. "I think that if the strangulation was done during sex, then these women would have fought back. What woman wants to be strangled in the throes of passion?" She raised an eyebrow, looking around at everyone. She could see Reid thinking, and JJ and Prentiss agreeing.

"I agree."The other 2 women spoke.

After that, everyone was quiet as they waited for the plane to land in Arizona. It was a couple hour flight, and everyone got comfortable.

"I forgot to mention, nice sweats" Derek teased.

"I was cleaning when I got the call" Alanis defended. Derek raised his hands in mock surrender. "So David, how's the new book?" She asked the older Agent.

"It's great. My editor is looking over it, and it should be published soon" He smiled, making the corners over his eyes crinkle. Alanis smiled in return. Her phone went off, and groaned when she checked the caller ID. "Your mother?" Rossi chuckled. Alanis nodded and hit ignore.

"I need to change my number" She sighed. Hotch even cracked a smile (well, half smile).

The team walked into the local police station, and met with the Sheriff.

"Sheriff Andrew Lopez, I'm Agent Hotchner. This is Agent Jareau, SSA's Emily Prentiss, David Rossi, Derek Morgan, Dr. Spencer Reid, and our newest Agent, Alanis Rodriguez." Hotch introduced everyone, and they all shook hands.

"Thank god you guys are here."The sheriff sighed. "All we know is, that it's a male" Well, wasn't that oh so helpful?

"We'll take care of this Sheriff" Hotch assured. Sheriff Andrews nodded and led the team to a conference room where they set up a board with the victim's picture. The Sheriff left the team to it.

"None of the women look the same, so that rules out that he has a type." Rossi said.

"So why would he kill them?" Prentiss asked. The team was quiet for a few moments.

"We need Garcia to check out the surveillance cameras. A town of this size should have them outside of local businesses." Rossi said.

"Hey Baby girl, you're on speaker." Morgan said as he called Garcia.

"Alright, my little dose of chocolate heaven. What do you need?" Garcia said.

"Can you check any surveillance footage from the local businesses, like local bars, nightclubs" Morgan said.

"You got it. Garcia out" And then the phone line went dead.

A few moments later, and the phone rang again. "What do you got for me, Mama?" Morgan asked.

"Oh hot stuff, you have no idea" Garcia purred.

"Anything, Garcia?" Hotch interrupted.

"Yes sir, Boss man. The surveillance footage from the night before our first victim showed up dead, it shows her leaving with a male, but his face is hidden." Garcia said.

"What does that matter?" Prentiss questioned.

"Well Miss snippy pants, it matters because footage from the nights before our victims have been dumped in the desert, they all leave with the same male." Garcia sighed.

"How do you know it's the same male?" Alanis questioned.

"Because my little peach, the male has the same height and build, and the same haircut from what I can tell, in every video" Garcia said.

"Can you send us stills from them?" Hotch asked.

"Done, check your phones" And then she hung up.

"Does she always do that?" Alanis questioned.

"Yes" The team answered in unison, slightly freaking Alanis out.

"Okay. Look at the pictures, Garcia's right' Hotch said.

"All the same height, build, and haircut." Rossi said.

"I'd say, judging by the haircut, that our UNSUB is between 20-30 years of age" Alanis shrugged.

Hotch looked at her for a moment. "Let's give our profile"

"Our Unsub is between the ages of 20-30 years old. He would be about 6ft in height, and anywhere from 180-250 lbs."Hotch said.

"He's Caucasian, and would be seen at any local bars." Rossi said.

The team all dispersed after the profile was given. Hotch and JJ went to one bar, Morgan and Prentiss went to another, Reid and a female deputy went to a nightclub, and Rossi and Alanis went to the bar where the last victim was taken.

In the end, around 2am, they caught the Unsub. Gerald Ford, 25, murderer. He kept repeating to Hotch that sex was a sin, and he needed to erase it, ergo, he killed the women.

It also turned out to be Halloween. Little kids running around in their costumes, completely unaware.

The team was exhausted by the time they made it back to the hotel. It was far too late and they just needed sleep. Hotch and Rossi shared a room, Reid and Morgan, and the 3 women.

As she was getting ready for bed, she was asked a question.

"How do you know Hotch and Rossi?" Prentiss asked curiously. Alanis sat on her bed and sighed.

"They saved me once." And that's all she really said on the subject. Afterwards, the lights were shut off and the girls all got into bed. Alanis though, she stayed awake, thinking back to a time where she was terrified, and felt alone.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Checked again, and nope, STILL don't own Criminal Minds. Damn.**

Alanis lay in her bed at the hotel, tossing and turning as she slept. Nightmares plagues her.

'_She's walking down the street, coming back from a party where her friends ditched her. It's cold in Chicago, and as a breeze hits, she hugs her coat closer to her body and keeps trudging. _

_She passes an alley, and gets a weird feeling, but she shrugs it off. She's only about a mile away from her house and feels like she can make it. Out of nowhere, she's attacked. Kicked, punched, bitten, a little bit of hair yanked out of her scalp. She lets out an ear piercing scream and kicks her foot up, knocking her attacker onto his ass and she runs. She just keeps running. A block away from her street, and she's tackled down. '_

Alanis woke up screaming, completely soaked in sweat with tears streaming down her face. She quickly looked around and when she realized where she was, she breathed a sigh of relief and slumped back into bed. She was thankful that JJ and Prentiss weren't in the room, because she really didn't want to wake them up because of the memory (or nightmare as she calls it), and be forced to explain.

She got up and went over to her go bag, and grabbed some fresh clothing before going into the bathroom. She quickly took her shower, and got out, drying off and quickly dressing. She tied her long hair back into a braid that hit her hips. She grabbed her things and walked out of the room and over to the elevator. She pushed the button and patiently waited for the doors to open.

Just as she stepped onto the elevator, so did Agent Rossi. She smiled tiredly at him, and he nodded back.

"Rough night?" He ventured. She gave a dry laugh.

"You can definitely say that" She sighed, slumping into the corner of the elevator and shutting her eyes.

"You're still getting flashbacks?" He asked her. All she did was nod her head. He knew her well, after all, he was one of the ones who saved her. "They say that time heals all wounds…" Rossi trailed off at her snort. "Bullshit, I know" He chuckled.

"I just wish they'd stop" She sighed. The doors of the elevator opened, and both of the Agents stepped off. They met up with their team, and they all drove together to the jet. They all quickly climbed onto the large aircraft and put their bags away, and settled into their seats.

The flight home was filled with all the others joking, but Alanis was in her own mind.

Once the jet landed, Alanis grabbed her bag and exited the jet, and waited for Rossi.

"Ride home?" He asked and at her nod, he led her to his SUV. They tossed their bags in and quickly climbed in themselves. It was quiet, but not an uncomfortable or awkward quiet…it was peaceful. Calming.

Rossi drove her home, and she thanked him before she went into her house. Alanis tossed her bag in the hallway and quickly locked up her door, setting the alarm.

Later on that night, just as she was on her way to watch TV in her living room, she got a text from Hotch. The team was going out for drinks, and she was ordered to go.

She sighed and went upstairs, changing into black jeans and a blood red long-sleeved v-neck shirt and black flat boots. Her hair was still up, and she put on a little bit of makeup before grabbing her purse. She walked out after making sure that everything was locked up.

Quickly getting to the bar, she walked in and spotted the team. They were sitting at a table in the corner, laughing and joking around. She ordered a beer at the bar and grabbed it, walking over to her team.

"Hi" She said, and in return received replies of "hello""hey beautiful" and a head nod from Hotch.

"What's your favorite color?" Penelope asked, a few drinks in.

"Purple" Alanis laughed, taking a drink of her Budweiser.

"Intriguing color. Purple is royalty. A mysterious color, it is associated with both nobility and spirituality. The opposites of hot red and cool blue combine to create this intriguing color. Did you know that Blue Iris satisfies the need for reassurance in a complex world, while adding a hint of mystery and excitement." Reid continued to ramble while Alanis blinked a few times.

"You get used to it"Rossi said, close to her ear. She shivered a little and nodded. She heard a few chuckles but chose to ignore them.

"Pretty boy, give it a break" Derek Chuckled, shaking his head at the braniac.

"Sorry" Reid blushed, and quickly drank the rest of his beverage.

Alanis could sense Reid was embarrassed, and she felt bad. "It's okay Reid. I found it fascinating" She said, trying to make him feel less embarrassed.

He just gave her a smile and got up to go get another drink.

"I can too out drink you" Alanis snorted, shaking her head at Derek who was rolling his eyes.

"Puh-lease sweetheart, you couldn't" Derek laughed, flashing her a cocky smile.

Alanis raised an eyebrow. "Wanna make a bet?" And when he nodded, she grinned. "Drinking contest. We let the others pick the drinks, and the last one standing gets bragging rights AND can make the other do any 1 thing of the winners choosing" They shook on it.

Alanis woke up the next day to the sun shining and the birds chirping. "Happy bastards" She groaned, slowly rolling onto her back and then hissing and jumping up. She hurried over to the mirror and yanked off her shirt, groaning at the sight on her shoulder blade. It appeared to be a fairy or something. Her vision was too fuzzy to tell.

She grunted and slowly got dressed, taking Advil and then leaving the house. When she arrived at the BAU, she would have laughed if her head didn't hurt.

Derek was slumped onto his desk, basically laying on it, groaning and holding his head. She finally relented and snickered at him, drawing his attention to her. "Evil little woman" He grumbled.

"We told you so" Hotch and Rossi said loudly, making the 2 hungover Agents wince.

"Shhh!" The younger Agents said together.

"Hello my chocolate Adonis, Boss-man, Rossi, pumpkin" Penelope greeted the four Agents.

"Hey" Alanis said.

Penelope started talking about something, Alanis didn't know because she spaced out. After the rest of the Agents got to the BAU, Alanis snuck off to Penelope's office.

"Enter if your dare" Penelope called out as Alanis knocked on the door. Said woman entered the room, looking marginally better than earlier. "What can I do for you, sugar-plumb?" Penelope asked.

"Um…I was wondering if you, uh…could tell me what the hell is on my shoulder blade?" Alanis blushed a little. Penelope laughed.

"After you got drunk, and won the bet, Derek was a sore loser. He dared you to get the tattoo, after calling you a chicken. You took the dare, and got a tiny angel on your shoulder" Penelope explained. Alanis blinked.

"Sounds about right…" Alanis chuckled. "Thanks Pen. I couldn't figure out what the hell it was. Um….would you know how I got home?" She asked.

"Rossi drove you" The tech genius said. Alanis nodded and left the lair, entering the bullpen. The technical analysis (or GODDESS, as she referred to herself) giggled quietly to herself and turned back to her computer.

Alanis walked over to her desk, and quietly started to read through files and make a few calls. It wasn't long until she buried into her work, not even stopping for lunch. She waved the others off, and just kept working.

Hotch had watched over the youngest Agent work so hard, and he was proud, but also very worried. If she was working this hard, he knew something was on her mind and she was trying to run from it. But he knew she wouldn't talk about it yet, at least to him. He quietly went back into his office and shut the door.

Eventually, it was Derek who dragged her out of the office.

"What in the hell do you think you're doing? I have work to do!" Alanis shouted, trying to get out of the darker Agents grasp.

"Sorry woman, but you need a break. And food, I can hear your stomach howling from over here" Derek shook his head and put her in his SUV before climbing into the driver's seat. "I'm taking you to a diner, and you're going to eat." And with that, he drove off out of the parking lot while Alanis just blinked at him.

"Well then…" She muttered under her breath, hearing Derek chuckle.

About 10 minutes later, they pulled into the parking lot of a small diner called Al's. Such a cheesy name, but she was willing to bed that they had great food. She and Derek got out of the car and walked inside, sitting at a booth in the back, near the bathrooms. They each grabbed a menu, and looked at it.

"I just want fries and a burger…ooooh! Milkshake" Alanis squealed, making Derek smile and let out another chuckle. "What?" Alanis raised an eyebrow at him.

"You're just…different from a lot of women" Derek shrugged.

"Is that a bad thing?" She questioned.

"No, it's a good thing." He said. A waitress came over at that time and took both of the orders.

"How so?" Alanis asked when the waitress walked away.

Derek leaned back in his seat and stared at her for a moment. "You eat like a normal person instead of eating rabbit food. You don't back down from challenges or dares. You give your opinion, and don't mince words. You're straight forward and blunt as hell. And you are definitely not afraid to call someone on their bullshit" He listed, leaving her a little stunned.

"I thought there was no inter-team profiling" She teased, smiling. Derek chuckled and shook his head as the waitress came over with their food.

"Will that be all?" She purred, batting her eyes at Derek. Alanis looked at the girl and held back a laugh at her 'subtle' flirtation.

"Yes" Derek smiled. The waitress left, looking a little dejected. Alanis laughed quietly and shook her head. "What?" Derek asked.

"You just broke her heart" Alanis said, still laughing. Derek joined her, and shook his head. Once they both calmed down, they started eating their food. Occasionally they would say something and smile, or laugh. It was amazing to them both, how well they got along.

They both ordered some pie afterwards, and when the waitress brought their order and left, Alanis grinned.

"I bet you that she slipped you her number" She said, taking a bite of her pumpkin pie. And sure enough, when Derek lifted up his plate, her number was right there. Alanis laughed and kept eating. They finished their pie, and both paid for their meals and then left.

Alanis made Derek drive her back to the BAU so that she could get her car. She waved goodbye to Derek, and started her car, and then drove home.

Once she finally made it home, she locked up her door and turned on the security alarm. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, and made her way upstairs. She walked into her bedroom, and went straight to her bathroom. She turned on the hot water, put the plug in the tub and poured in some peach scented bubble bath. As she waited for the tub to fill, she stripped out of her clothes and clipped her hair up in a clip. She rolled her neck and shoulders, sighing.

Alanis was just about to get in the tub when she heard the doorbell. Cursing under her breath, she grabbed her silky black robe and slipped it on, making sure to tie it tight. She shut off the water and hurried down the steps. "Hold your horses!" She yelled, turning off the security system and undoing all the locks, before yanking open the door and couldn't help the shocked expression that crossed her face when she was face to face with David Rossi. While she was in her robe. Naked underneath. Her breath seemed to hitch slightly but she let him inside. "What's up?" Her voice shook slightly from being nervous.

"I just came to see…if you were…okay" David shrugged, hanging up his jacket. "Am I interrupting something?" He asked, and Alanis swore she heard jealousy in his tone.

"I was just about to, um, take a bath…" She blushed a little.

"Oh…I'll just leave then" David said, but Alanis quickly shook her head.

"No no no, it's fine. I'll just um, go get dressed" She scurried off upstairs after calling out for David to make himself at home. She ran into her room, locking the door. She slid on a pair of sweats, and a long sleeved shirt before rushing back downstairs. "Would you like something to drink?" She asked as she saw him sitting on the couch and looking around the living room.

"Scotch, if you have any" He smiled at her. She nodded and went over to the cabinet on the left side of the room, and opened it. She grabbed a bottle of Scotch and a glass, filling it up about halfway and handed it to him. "Thank you" He took a drink and sighed as the alcohol burned slightly.

"What's wrong, Dave?" She asked, sitting on the couch beside him.

"I uh…I don't know" He shook his head, and then down the rest of the glass, causing Alanis to blink at him several times. "It's just….something's irritating me. Something I want to be mine was out with someone else and it's…infuriating" He ranted.

Alanis stared at him, her brow furrowing a bit. "What? Who, Dave?" She asked. He let out a slightly humorless laugh.

"You should know…is there something wrong with me? Am I not attractive enough? Am I too old?"

"Dave-"

"I'm serious Alanis! Is there something that's keeping her from me?" He looked at her so intently, it felt like his stare was burning right through her.

"There's nothing wrong with you Dave…" She said quietly.

"Then why doesn't she want me!?" He yelled, making her jump slightly. He groaned and ran his hands over his face and through his hair. "I'm sorry…I'm just…going to go" He stood up and strode over to the coat rack in the foyer.

"Dave! Wait, Dave!" Alanis called, running after him. She almost slammed into his back when he stopped abruptly. "Oh crap!" She said, skidding to a stop before she smacked into him.

"What?" At least his voice was quiet this time, Alanis thought.

"What's going on? Who is this girl that has you so…torn up?" Alanis put her hand on his bicep, and lightly squeezed.

Dave sighed and shook his head. "How do…it's no one"

Alanis stared at him. "Dave, who ever she is…she's not worth you being so upset. If she can't see how amazing, and sexy you are…well then, it's her own damn fault. She must be crazy!"

Dave raised an eyebrow. "You're so clueless" And then he had his coat and was out the door before she could ask him what the hell he meant by that.

'Men' she thought to herself, locking the door back up and going upstairs. Bath long forgotten, she got into bed and fell into a fitful sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Criminal Minds, but I SO wish I did. Ugh. **

Alanis was rudely woken up out of a dream by her phone ringing obnoxiously in her ear. She grabbed the offending device and clicked answer. "Rodriguez" She grunted.

"We have a case. Be at the airstrip in 10." Hotch's voice said, just before the dial tone rang in her ear. Alanis groaned and tossed her phone towards the end of bed. She tossed the covers off of her and got up, rummaging through her dresser drawers. She pulled out a pair of jeans and a long sleeved white shirt and a blue blazer. She slid on the clothes quickly, pulled on her converse and grabbed her go bag. Her keys in hand, she locked up her house and got into her SUV.

After breaking several traffic laws, she pulled into the airstrip and quickly got out, locking the doors to her vehicle and got onto the jet. All the others were there already and seemed to be waiting on her.

"Lovely hair" Derek said, and he was rewarded by the one finger salute. "Inappropriate" He sang. Hotch was slightly amused by the interactions between the Agents to reprimand them, so he called for their attention.

"A young female, raped, strangled and left dead in her home. A similar case was reported about 2 months ago. Both females have the same height, and share similar facial features." Hotch handed everyone their files, and allowed them to review them for a few moments.

"Why would he target these two females?" Prentiss asked.

"Maybe they reminded him of someone that wronged him?" Reid suggested.

"Or maybe someone who rejected him." Alanis said.

"Both theories make sense." Rossi said. The team was silent after that, all pondering about the case. 2 Agents though, were thinking about the incident earlier that night.

"I have to pee" Alanis said, crossing her legs tightly as Hotch drove. The team was all in one SUV, and Alanis was right between David and Derek.

"A few more moments and we'll be at the station" Hotch said in his usual tone. Alanis groaned and clenched her legs tighter, slightly bouncing in her seat. Derek snickered at her and took a drink from his water bottle, making her smack him in the arm. "Enough, we're here" Hotch chuckled and shut off the car.

As soon as Dave was out of the car, Alanis bolted out and bounced slightly as she waited impatiently for the rest of the team to get out of the vehicle. Once everyone was out, they walked into the precinct.

"Hello, I'm Sheriff Brian Marks, you must be Agent Hotchner" A man said, shaking Hotch's hand. He was tall, had no hair and looked a little shifty.

"Yes sir" Hotch said and introduced the team. By the time he was finished, Alanis was groaning, standing with her legs crossed and slightly doubled over.

"Is there something wrong with your Agent?" The Sheriff asked Hotch.

"She just needs to use the facilities" Hotch chuckled. The Sheriff nodded and gave Alanis directions down the hall. She bolted down the hall, almost slamming into a deputy on her way. She muttered an apology and ran into the bathroom, quickly going into a stall.

Once she finished her business, she washed her hands and walked out of the bathroom and back out to the front.

"Sorry about that" She apologized.

"It's okay" Sheriff 'Creeper' smiled at her, and she found herself shuffling towards Rossi. Something about the Sheriff just rubbed her the wrong way.

"We're going to need to see the body." Hotch told the Sheriff, and the creep nodded before giving them the address of the morgue.

Alanis volunteered to go, and Rossi and Reid tagged along with her. The others all dispersed. Prentiss and Derek went to the scene where the body was found, and Hotch and JJ stayed at the station.

"So, do you want to tell us what's up?" Dave asked, raising an eyebrow as they got out of the SUV.

"What do you mean?" Alanis asked, not really knowing.

"About you reacting like that to the Sheriff" Both Reid and Dave said at the same time.

"First, it's creepy when you do that" She pointed at both men and then shrugged. "And second, something about the Sheriff just isn't right" She said as they walked in, and headed back. The body was laid out on the table and the coroner was examining the body. Each Agent introduced them-selves.

"She has defensive wounds, so that means she fought back" Reid said.

"And it looks like she was strangled" Alanis and Rossi both said.

"The rape was done post-mortem." The coroner said. Alanis flinched slightly at that tidbit.

"Necrophilia?" Reid said, looking disgusted. The other three people in the room agreed with his disgust.

Once they finished looking at the body, the three Agents got into the SUV and went back to the precinct, telling their Unit Chief what they knew.

"It seems as though our UNSUB was watching our victim" Prentiss said when the team gathered in a conference room. The door was shut so they had privacy to work out the profile.

"He broke into her house, and murdered her in the kitchen" Derek said.

"She fought him, and he got angry, so he strangled her" Rossi said.

"Neighbors reported seeing a tall white male sneaking around, but no one though anything suspicious. Apparently our victim was promiscuous" Hotch said, crossing his arms.

"They see a strange male sneaking around their neighbor's house, and fail to report it?" JJ asked, disbelievingly.

"They just thought it was another one of her one night stands." Derek said, tossing a pen onto the table.

"Let's give our profile" Hotch said.

"We're looking for a white male. About 5'10-6'5 in height. He would have to be around 175-220 lbs, strong enough to subdue the women. He would be between 25-40 years old "Hotch said.

"He would appear to be skittish, sketchy" Derek said.

"He would also be aggressive, and just generally give off a creepy vibe." Reid said.

Alanis and Rossi were looking around the room, gauging the cops' reaction. The only one who seemed slightly shifty was the Sheriff, and Alanis just couldn't shake off the feeling.

Everyone broke apart and went their separate ways. Rossi and Alanis went outside so they could talk privately.

"Something isn't right, Dave" Alanis said, looking at the older Agent.

"I know, I noticed it too" Dave said putting a hand on Alanis's shoulder. "We'll figure it out, Al" He gave her a small smile and moved his hand off her shoulder.

About 3 hours later, the team got a call. Another body found, fitting the same descriptions as the last 2 victims. Brown hair and blue eyes, 5'4 in height. They rushed to the scene, and Hotch wore a scowl. He sensed too, that something wasn't right. He stepped off to the side and called Garcia.

"Speak to me, peasant" Penelope said.

"Garcia, I need you to do me a favor" Hotch said

"Yes sir?" She said, typing away.

"I need you to look at the last two cases. Something isn't right…"Hotch said.

"It's the Sheriff that isn't right" Alanis said, interrupting Hotch.

"Why do you say that?" Hotch asked the female.

"Something about him is off Hotch. He's shifty, and when we were giving the profile, he was squirming and looking nervous" Alanis said. Hotch stared at her for a moment, pondering her words.

"Penelope, look into the Sherriff. Brian Marks" Hotch said.

"Okay boss man…"Fingers tapped on the keyboard "Wow…okay, Brian Marks, 38 years old. He has a record from when he was younger. Sexual assault, spousal abuse" Penelope said.

Both Agents looked at each other, and nodded. "Thank you" Hotch hung up. "We need to keep a very close eye on the Sheriff" Alanis nodded and scurried off, whispering to Dave what they found out. Hotch told the rest of the team quietly.

The next call they got, it was that a young female was kidnapped. She fit the same description of the last victims. The Sheriff was also nowhere around. That started to cement everything for the team. They rushed to the woman's house, and found a few foot prints. They matched the shoes up with the ones the Sheriff was wearing.

Garcia also managed to pinpoint where he was by the GPS in his phone. The team busted into the old abandoned house and Derek tackled him down, and quickly cuffed him.

Alanis and Prentiss got the young, half naked woman out of the house. She was shaking, and the 2 Agents were reassuring her that everything was fine now.

Sheriff was loaded into a police car, and the woman was put into an ambulance to go get checked out at the hospital.

That night, Alanis was alone in her hotel room with a bottle of Jack Daniels in her hand. She had long forgotten the glass and just drank straight from the bottle.

A knock at the door had her getting up off the bed, still in her clothes from earlier, and she opened the door. Derek was there, holding a bottle in his hands.

"Ah, you had the same thought" He said, walking in and sitting on a chair.

"I know y-you're used to it, th-these cases…h-how do you do it?" Alanis slurred slightly, sitting on the end of her bed.

"Lots of alcohol, and a lot of sex" Derek said bluntly, taking a drink of his own bottle. Alanis raised an eyebrow at him, but made no comment. "I'm serious. It takes off the stress of the job and lets you forget for a while" He took another drink.

"I don't see how" Alanis shrugged, her words slightly less slurred. She took another drink from her bottle and wiped her mouth.

"What do you mean?" Derek raised an eyebrow at her.

"Sex has never been that enjoyable for me" She shrugged, not looking at him. Derek leaned forward in his chair, his eyebrow still raised.

"What do you mean it hasn't been enjoyable for you?" He pushed.

"I've just never…"

"You mean…like ever?" Derek said, sounding completely surprised. Alanis just nodded and took another drink. Only a little less than half the bottle was gone. "What the hell kind of guys do you go for, beautiful?" He asked.

"They were all nice guys" She defended, her buzz wearing off the more they talked.

"Apparently not. They never took care of you" Derek shook his head, honestly wondering what the hell was wrong with males. How could they not 'take care' of the girl they were with?

"Shut up" Alanis blushed, the color going down her throat and making Derek wonder just how far that blush went.

"I'm serious, beautiful. A man should always make sure his lady gets off and enjoys herself. If he doesn't, well he's not much of a man" Derek said, and Alanis stared at him, with her brows furrowed.

"Not every guy thinks like that" She shrugged.

"Well, they should. There's nothing like seeing the look of utter pleasure on your girls face when she falls over the proverbial cliff and just knowing that you're the one who did that to her. It's amazing" Derek had her hanging onto his every word now. She wanted to feel that, feel the pleasure that's supposed to come with sex.

"Would…w-would you…never mind" She shook her head and took a small drink from her bottle before putting the lid back on it and set it on the bed beside her.

"What do you want?" Derek asked, getting off of the chair and crouching down in front of her as she sat on the bed. "Tell me"

"It's…it's nothing Derek" She shook her head, adverting her eyes. Derek turned her to face him, softly gripping her chin and stared at her intently. "I-I…"

" . ?"He spoke slowly, his gaze never wavering.

"You" Her voice was quiet, but he heard her.

"You can have me then, baby." His lips brushed lightly over hers, barely touching but it was enough to make her shudder. Slowly, he pressed his lips to hers. She moaned softly and brought her hands around his neck, as Derek slowly rose. Derek leaned over her, never breaking the kiss. He pushed her legs slowly apart and crawled onto the bed between her legs, kneeling on his knees. She leaned back a little, and one of his hands went to her hip while the other tangled in her long hair, bringing her closer to him. He never let the kiss break; both of them deepened it and moaned loudly when their tongues brushed together.

Alanis pulled back from the kiss when she needed to breath. She was panting, and Derek looked down at her.

"Are you okay?" He asked her softly. She nodded and gave him a small smile.

"I've never been kissed like that" She told him. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "That…passionately…it's usually chaste kisses" She put her hand on his cheek and stroked her thumb across his cheek as she smiled a little.

"Baby, you've missed out on so much" Derek shook his head and grabbed the hand that was on his face and kissed each of her fingertips. "These 'men' never treated you right…your body needs to be worshipped" He leaned forward and pressed a slow kiss on her lips, and then trailed his slow kissed down her cheek and across her jaw, nibbling occasionally. "Let me show you how to be treated" He whispered against her jaw.

"O-okay…"She whispered back. Derek smiled and moved his kisses down her neck and to the little bit of cleavage that was visible with her shirt. His hands moved up under the hem of her shirt, and her breath hitched as his skin touched hers. Derek slowly pushed her shirt up, revealing her lacy white bra. He bit back a groan at the sight, and he took her shirt completely off.

He kissed the tops of her breasts, and along her ribs and across her stomach until he reached the waistband of her jeans. "Gotta go" he unfastened the button and pulled down the zipper, slowly pealing the denim from her legs. He hovered over her, drinking in the sight of her body before he tugged off his own shirt and pants. Both of them left in their under things.

"D-derek…maybe we should stop" She whispered, causing him to look at her concerned.

"If that's what you want" He said, starting to move off the bed. She grabbed his arm and looked up at him.

"I do…I just…what about the fraternizing rule?" She said, biting her lip. Derek chuckled and shook his head.

"It's not against the rules for us to have sex, it's just frowned upon."He told her, cupping her cheek. "Do you want this?" He asked her. She nodded after a second and he kissed her softly. "Then forget everything else. Just focus on what you're feeling" He said quietly, reaching behind her and unhooking her bra and sliding it down her arms. "Damn" He muttered, finally seeing her breasts. He leaned down and softly kissed each one, and flicked one of her nipples with his tongue. Alanis gasped at the feeling and gripped his shoulders.

"Oh god…"She panted. Derek chuckled and tugged off her panties, before returning attention to her chest. He paid special attention to each taut peak before his hand slid from her stomach to down between her legs, cupping her gently. "Oh…Derek…"She whimpered. Derek slid a finger between her folds and began teasing her little bundle of nerves. In no time, she was shaking and moaning out his name. Just as she was about to peak, he stopped and pulled his hand away. "no!" Alanis cried in frustration.

"I promise this will make up for it" Derek leaned down and kissed her, sucking her bottom lip softly before pulling away. He grabbed a condom from his wallet that was on the floor and slipped it on. He kissed her again and guided himself to her entrance.

Alanis groaned into his mouth, wrapping her legs up around his waist. Both moaned as Derek slipped into her. He let her adjust to him, and then he set a slow pace. In and out, in and out. Bites, kisses, moans. Alanis cried out his name, slightly digging her nails into his shoulders as he sped up his thrusts. Her hips moved with the rhythm and soon enough, she felt a feeling in the pit of her stomach, and her moans became more high pitched.

"Let go baby…let go" Derek groaned out, speeding up. He brought one hand between them and teased her bundle of nerves again. Alanis came, screaming out his name and raking her nails down his back. Derek growled out her name her orgasm rung his right out of them.

Derek collapsed on top of her, as they both tried catching their breath. Alanis clutched him close, still shaking from the aftershocks.

"Holy shit" was all she could say.

"Did you enjoy yourself?" Derek chuckled, pulling out of her and causing them to both hiss at the loss.

"I did…thank you" She muttered.

"Don't thank me, baby. It really was all my pleasure" He kissed her softly before getting up. Alanis panicked for a second and sat up. "Relax, I have to go to the bathroom" Derek assured her, going into the bathroom and closing the door.

Alanis fell back onto the pillows and sighed. A smile was spread across her face. She finally enjoyed intimacy with someone.

By the time Derek came out of the bathroom, she was asleep and still naked. He smiled at her, and slid his boxers on before putting her underwear back on her. He put his shirt on her also, and he was shocked that she didn't wake up. He kissed her forehead and got into bed with her. He managed to get the blankets to cover them.

Just as he was drifting off, he felt the bed shift as Alanis moved closer to snuggle into his side.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Still don't own Criminal Minds, but I am thinking of putting it on my Christmas list. **

The next morning, both of the Agents (Derek and Alanis) got out of bed, took Advil and talked about what happened. Derek told her that if she wanted it to happen again, that all she had to do was say so. She told him that it was a onetime only thing, but that it meant so much, which it did.

No one had ever been able to make her react like that, but she knew it wasn't right. They were only ever meant to be friends, not lovers. Besides, she sees how he and Penelope look at each other and no matter how many times they deny it, they _do_ have feelings for each other, and its waaaaay deeper than friendship. She's a woman, she knows these things.

So, both Agents acted as if it didn't happen. Derek went back to his room to get his things and Abrial did the same. Both showered and changed, and then met up in the lobby. They were completely normal to each other, teasing, bickering, smacking (on Alanis's part because Derek's mama always taught him to never hit a woman).

"If you 2 don't stop, I'll pull this jet over" Hotch said sternly, causing Alanis to make a face, which in turn caused Hotch to crack a small smile.

"Okay Miss Hangover, rest" Rossi said, lightly shoving her onto one of the couches on the jet. Alanis complied, and lay down, throwing her feet onto the footrest and closed her eyes. Her breathing evened out, but she wasn't asleep. It was a little while before she felt the plane start to land, so she sat up and waited patiently for the plane to land. Once it did, she was up and out of the jet before everyone else. She climbed into her SUV and drove out of there about as fast as she could go without hurting anyone or getting pulled over.

Once she got home, she locked her car doors and went into the house, setting the security system and locking the doors. She immediately went into her kitchen and grabbed a bowl, spoon, milk, and Lucky Charms. She made herself a bowl of cereal and went into her living room, setting on the couch and flipping on the TV.

Immediately, she tuned to a 90's cartoon and settled in for a few hours of ease.

But when has that ever worked for her? As soon as she got halfway through the bowl, her phone started ringing. Rolling her eyes, she pulled it out of her pocket and hit talk.

"Hello?" She said, her mouth was full so it came out 'hewwo'

"I'm your mother! Why are you avoiding me?" A voice demanded.

Alanis felt her eyebrow twitch slightly, but swallowed her mouthful and took a deep breath. "I'm not avoiding you_ mother_" She sneered the name "I've been busy, you know, with my job? Obviously something you know nothing about" She snapped.

"Do not speak to me that way! You have no right-"Alanis hung up before her mother could say anything else. She was tempted to throw her cell phone across the room, but managed to settle for slamming it down on her oak coffee table. Irritated, she stood up and went into the kitchen, dumping her bowl in the sink and stormed upstairs. She went into her room and slid on her workout clothes. She ignored the hickey on her collarbone, and just went downstairs to her small gym.

The gym had a punching bag, a treadmill, and weights. She went straight over to the punching bag and wrapped her hands up, turned on the radio and pummeled the hell out of the bag.

Hours later, dripping in sweat and cursing like a sailor, she switched off the radio and did a few cooling down stretches. Once she finished, she left the room and went back upstairs. She grabbed her cell phone and went up to her room. She stripped her clothing in her bedroom and went into her private bathroom. She set her phone on the toilet seat lid.

Turning on the hot water as hot in the bathtub as she could stand it, she slipped in and sighed, leaning her head back against the tub and sighing as the hot water helped to ease the ache in her muscles.

Her phone started ringing and she groaned, snatching it up and hitting talk.

"Rodriguez" She barked into the phone, starting to get irritated again.

"Wow….bad time?" She heard Dave's voice on the other end. She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair.

"I had to deal with my mother"

"Oh…are you alright?" She could hear the concern in his voice.

"Just really pissed off" She sighed.

"Already hit the gym?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm in the bath now to relax" Why in the hell did she just say that!? "I'm sorry, Dave that was-"

"Damn" She heard him mutter.

"Are you okay, Dave?" She asked, slightly confused.

He cleared his throat "Yeah, just uh…stubbed my toe…listen, I just wanted to invite you out to dinner tonight"

"Uh, yeah. That sounds like fun…or we could have dinner here? We've been running everywhere, and I think all of us could relax" She said.

"So I'll be at your place in about…an hour? I'll bring the food" Dave said.

"Sure Dave…I'll see you then" She smiled as they hung up. She quickly finished her bath, scrubbing her skin until she smelled like peaches and her hair smelled like coconut. She got out and dried off, and then went into her room. She grabbed a pair of jeans and a navy colored v-neck. She slid on some socks on her feet and dried her hair with the towel. When she was happy with her look, she went downstairs and put a bottle of wine in the fridge.

Having extra time before he got here, she tidied up the kitchen and living room. When the doorbell rang, she felt her heart jump excitedly. Opening her door, she smiled at Dave.

"Come on in" She ushered him inside and then set the security system and locked the door. When she turned around, Dave was looking at her curiously. "It helps...the paranoia never goes away, and having that eases my mind" She motioned to her door that was bolted up like Fort Knox.

"I understand" Dave said, and he went into her kitchen, setting the food onto the counter. "I hope you're in the mood for Italian" He smiled when she nodded excitedly. He pulled out Chicken Parmesan and garlic cheese sticks. "I got our favorites" He chuckled.

"And I got my favorite" She grabbed the bottle of cool wine from the fridge and two glasses. She poured them each a glass and handed him his.

"Mm, delicious" He said after he took a drink. She nodded and grabbed plates and forks, and made them both a plate. "Want to eat in here?"

"No, let's eat in the living room" She said, grabbing both of their plates while he grabbed their wine glasses.

They settled comfortably onto the couch, and quietly ate. Occasionally, they drank from their glasses.

"Can I ask you something?" Dave asked after they finished eating, and was curled up beside each other on the couch. They were side by side, barely touching.

"Sure" Alanis nodded, sipping her wine.

"Are we okay? After the other night I mean?" He asked her, gazing into her eyes. Her breath hitched a bit.

"We're always fine, Dave. You know that." She smiled, patting his arm. When she went to pull her hand away, he caught it and held it in one of his.

"I just…I didn't want you to feel awkward around me…after my outburst" He ran his thumb across the back of her hand, causing goose bumps to rise.

"Dave…you…look, you saved my life, okay? And you've been a great friend to me. We will never be awkward. It's just not possible" She assured him, smiling a bit. "And whoever that girl is that you were talking about, well…I hope she pulls her head out of her ass soon because you are an amazing man and any woman would be lucky to have you" His hand had slid up her arm, and neither realized they were so close. Just as Dave leaned forward, about to do something, he caught sight of the hickey on her collarbone.

"What's that?" He tried keeping the jealousy and anger out of his tone.

"Oh…um…n-nothing" She stuttered, shaking her head. She didn't want him to know she slept with Derek, not that she was ashamed, but she just didn't want Dave to think differently.

"Are you…did you and Derek…?" He asked, and from the way she flushed, he knew he was right. He stood abruptly and turned his back to her, squeezing his eyes shut and clenching his jaw as he tried to fight off the jealousy.

"Dave…"She whispered, standing up and reaching out to touch his arm. She blinked as he turned abruptly, and she saw anger in his eyes. She was slightly taken aback. "Are you…jealous?" She didn't know why she asked, but she couldn't take it back.

"I have to go" He said, and she could hear his voice. He was holding back anger from her. He quickly left before she could stop him, and she was left standing there, feeling completely confused and she just blinked.

What the hell just happened?


	6. Chapter 6

The next day, Alanis woke up feeling tired and not really wanting to go into work, but she decided that whatever was going on with Dave could wait.

She got up, showered, changed into Black jeans, a white button up shirt and a black blazer. Her converse were on her feet. She grabbed her purse, keys and other things before going out to her car. She got in and on her way to the BAU, she stopped and got everyone coffee. When she walked in, she silently handed everyone their drink, and tossed Reid a muffin before sitting at her desk with her coffee and started reading through files.

She could feel a few sets of eyes on her, but she ignored them and just went about work.

When the team headed out for lunch, Hotch called her into his office.

"Yes sir?" She asked, sitting in a chair in front of his desk.

"Is there something wrong?" Hotch asked her. He wasn't the type to beat around the bush.

"No sir" She shook her head.

"You're lying. Tell me Agent, what has you so upset?" Hotch leaned forward, his hands folded on the desk while he fixed her with that stare of his. You know the one where it's like he's looking into your soul?

She sighed and ran her hands through her hair. "Sir…it's just…my mother. She keeps calling and just won't leave me alone" She was frustrated. Beyond frustrated, really.

Hotch looked at her silently, and raised an eyebrow. "Why not change your number?"

"I have, but she manages to get it" She sighed, leaning forward and bracing her elbows on her knees and holding her head. "I love her because she's my mother…but as a person..."

"You despise her" Hotch finished. He watched her nod silently. "I can understand how you feel"

"I…I hate her. I hate her so much"

"Why?" Hotch watched her.

"Because she ruined our family! S-she…She slept with a man, and broke my father's heart. Daddy did everything for her, and she turned and did that to him." Alanis got up and started pacing. Hotch just watched her from his seat, knowing that the Agent, his friend, needed this. "He worked so hard, trying to be the perfect man and she broke his heart…she tore our family apart. And when she files for divorce, she just expected me to go live with her! She was horrible, Aaron!"

"What did she do?" Hotch's voice was concerned.

"She was just never home, and when she was, she was drinking and yelling" Alanis shook her head. "I tried to be a good daughter, and she always made me feel worthless. I…All I ever wanted was for my mother to care. And then she slept with that guy and…"Alanis broke off, shaking her head angrily. She didn't know if the things she was saying were making any sense to Hotch.

"I understand Alanis…I do" Hotch stood and put his hand on his friends shoulder. "I'm telling you, you don't have to deal with her. Cut her out. Change your number, and only give it to your father. You know he won't give it out" And he watched Alanis nod, sighing.

"Thank you, sir" Alanis looked up at him.

"You're welcome. Now go eat" He commanded. Alanis nodded and left the office, feeling better than she did that morning. She left and went to a Chinese restaurant across the road and got some Pork Fried Rice. She ate quietly and went back to the office. She sat at her desk and quietly went back to reading files.

"Can I talk to you?" Rossi asked quietly, standing in front of her desk.

"I'm busy right now, Agent Rossi" She said, not even bothering to look him. "We can talk after work"

"Alright" Dave nodded and quietly went back to his office.

~~AY~~

After all the files were finished, Alanis got up and started packing up her things.

"Alanis, want to go out for drinks?" JJ asked her, smiling.

"No thanks, JJ…I've had enough alcohol for a while" Alanis laughed, shaking her head. Derek, who was standing beside JJ, laughed too.

"Okay girl, we'll see you tomorrow" Penelope hugged her, grinning secretively. Alanis raised an eyebrow as she watched them walk away.

"She knows something" Alanis shook her head and grabbed her things, heading out to her car.

"Alanis…would you like to go to dinner?" Rossi asked, coming up beside her.

"Um…" She trailed off then nodded. What could it hurt? She refused to let things be awkward between them.

The duo went to dinner, and once they were seated at a table slightly away from the other patrons, Rossi looked at her.

"I'm sorry" He said, and when she looked at him in question, he sighed. "I didn't mean to act like that…jealous…I just…" he shook his head.

"I can understand…kind of." Alanis put her hand on top of his that was sitting on the table. "But you can't just…get mad like that, because we have nothing going on" She looked at him, her eyes a little sad.

Rossi sighed, and nodded. He knew they didn't have anything going on, he had made sure of that a few years ago…he just…he couldn't help it. "I'm sorry" And he was. She just nodded and they ate dinner in mostly silence, occasionally talking.


	7. Chapter 7

Alanis sat at her desk at the BAU, chatting with Reid and Prentiss. She felt at home here, with the team. They had all become family to her quickly, especially Reid.

They had been on a case and when the UNSUB decided to try and filet Alanis, Reid had burst in with Derek, and had tackled the man down.

Since that incident, about a month ago, the team had been a little edgy.

"I'm telling you, Yogi was the better bear" Prentiss said.

"No way, Smoky the Bear was better" Reid argued.

"But he wasn't even in a CARTOON" Both women pointed out.

"But they did do cartoon drawings of him" And Reid had the smug look on his face. Both women shared a look and grinned. They reached forward in unison and pinched him. "HEY!" He yelped, swatting their hands away.

Both women laughed, especially went JJ and Penelope snuck up behind him and each pinched his cute little cheeks (his face people).

"Aw, leave Pretty Boy alone" Derek chuckled, handing everyone a coffee.

Alanis took a sip of hers and moaned. "I love you" She said.

"Thanks, sugar, I-"

"I was talking about the coffee, stud" Alanis laughed at the slight pout he gave her.

"Coffee" A gruff voice said. Rossi reached forward and grabbed his cupped, sighing in satisfaction. "Thanks, Derek" The older man nodded at the younger male.

"No problem, Rossi" Derek smiled.

Alanis tried to talk to Rossi, but he just walked away. She grunted and banged her head on her desk a few times, before someone's hand on the desk stopped it.

"Stop it, you'll hurt yourself Pumpkin Muffin" Penelope tsked. Alanis made a face, which caused Penelope to swat her with a folder that she had in her hand. "He'll come around, honey. The man-"

"Enough Garcia" Three voices said. JJ, Prentiss and Derek. Alanis gave them all a confused look, but when they said nothing, she grunted again and stood.

"Come on, D man, you're buying me food" She grabbed her jacket and slipped it on, tossing Derek his jacket.

It was a good thing today was a slow day, or they would be up a creek without a paddle with Hotch.

Derek walked across the street with her to the diner across from the BAU. He bought two burgers and fries, plus milkshakes. Both agents tore into their food, Alanis refusing to talk.

"Alright, baby, you have to talk to Dave"

"No way"

"Why?"

"Because he's not talking to me" Alanis mumbled, playing with her food. She shoved the plate away and sighed. "It's been awkward between us and it's never awkward. We're always just so..."

"Comfortable?" He chuckled.

"Yeah" She sighed.

"Look I know how you feel, kind of. And I know how he feels. You need to talk to him, badly" Derek told her, staring into her eyes. Alanis grunted, and he had to smile.

They both got up and left.

~~~CM~~~

Alanis relaxed in the tub that night, soaking and trying to get the kinks out of her neck and shoulders. The tension between her and Dave just got worse as the day passed on, and it was really bothering her.

Whenever she would try to talk to him, he walked away, or just ignored her and it hurt.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds, and it makes me weep like a child. I do however own the OC and the plot.**

**MAKE SURE TO READ THE A/N AT THE END PLEASE**

"That's it, you're coming with me" Was exactly what Derek said when Alanis opened the door around 12AM, dressed in her pajama's. Derek was dressed like he was going out, and she blinked, rubbing her eyes.

"Uh, where exactly are you taking me?" She yawned.

"You're coming out with me, and you're going to let loose and have fun and forget all of this Rossi stuff" And he made his way upstairs to her room, and went through her clothes while she stood in the bedroom doorway, staring at him dumbly.

"What the hell are you doing?" She asked.

"Getting your clothes, here" He tossed clothes at her and then pushed her into the bathroom and left her to get dressed.

She stared at the clothes for a second before slipping them on. He had grabbed her pair of dark skinny jeans that fit like a second skin, and a deep purple t-shirt. She ran some hair product through her hair to tame her curly hair, and then walked back into her bedroom. He tossed her a pair of socks and a pair of black, high heeled boots that went to her knee. She pulled them on, and then he was tugging her out of the house and out to his car.

Both got in and buckled up, before Derek pulled out of her driveway.

"Why do I have to go?" She sighed.

"Because you've been wound up tight lately, and baby the stress just ain't good. You need to put this mess with Rossi behind you for a while. It's been a week and a half, it's time to relax and go with the flow" Derek answered, stopping at a red light.

"But I don't want-"

"Stop it." Derek commanded, and she shut her mouth and stared at him. "You're going to have fun tonight" He promised, as he turned into the parking lot of the club. She simply nodded, choosing to just go with it.

They walked in together, with Derek's arm around her shoulder. They went to the bar and ordered their drinks, and then went and sat at a table.

Both slowly sipped their drinks, before Derek stood up and held a hand out to her.

"Dance with me" He motioned with his head to the dance floor. She smiled a little and put her hand in his, and together they walked to the dance floor. An older song, something from the 90's came on, it was kind of slow, and a really good beat but neither could really tell you the lyrics.

Derek smiled and held her close to him, pressing her front to his as close as he could and they swayed to the music. Her arms went around his neck and she pressed closer, losing herself to the music.

The more they danced, the more she forgot about the drama and just relaxed.

"Let's grab another drink?" Derek said near her ear after about 4 songs? She nodded and they separated, but held hands as they walked back over to the bar. They ordered another round of drinks, and slowly drank them. "Are you having fun?" Derek asked her.

"Yeah, actually I am" She smiled at him. "Thank you" She told him, giving him a quick hug before dragging him back to the dance floor, drinks still in their hands.

Some pop song came on, and they danced goofily and laughed. It really made the both of them feel better to just be able to let loose. In their line of work, seeing so many gruesome things, they sometimes find it hard to smile and be happy. They sometimes need to just go out, and try to forget about what they see.

~~~CM~~~

Around 4AM, both Agents finally left. They had both only had 2 drinks, but spent almost the entire night dancing like crazy.

"Thank you so much" She said, hugging Derek tight as they stood on her doorstep.

"Anytime baby doll" He hugged her back, and then sighed. "I should get home" He said, letting her go.

She chewed her bottom lip and then shrugged. "You could always stay" She said. "I mean, I have a guest room and the bed is comfy" She continued quickly.

Derek smiled "Are you sure?" He asked.

"Why drive home so late? You could fall asleep at the wheel or-"

"Okay, I'll stay" He chuckled.

They both went inside, and she showed him where the guest room was.

"If you need something, don't you even think of coming to looking for me" She laughed.

"And why is that?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Because if I get woken up, I'm very mean" She smiled.

He raised his hands in surrender. He wasn't stupid enough to irritate a woman who had a license to carry a guy.

They said goodnight and Alanis went to her room. She kicked off her boots, and pulled off her jeans before crawling into bed.

~~~CM~~~

The next morning, Alanis was awoken to the smell of bacon and coffee. She opened her eyes and saw Derek holding a tray, and smiling.

"What's that?" She asked, rubbing her eyes and sitting up.

"Breakfast…I thought I'd be nice since I dragged you out last night." He said, setting the tray on her lap and grabbing the 2nd cup of coffee off of the tray. "So…since we have the day off today, want to go to the fair or something? We can get the others to go if you want" He smiled, sipping the coffee.

"Sounds fun" She sighed as she took a bite of bacon. "Can you cook anything else?" She asked him curiously.

"Sure can" He nodded.

"We should have dinner sometime" She said, then went back to eating.

Once they both finished their breakfast, Derek left to go shower and change, and feed Clooney. Alanis got up and showered herself. When she got out, she dried her hair and pulled it back into a ponytail so that it wouldn't get in her face. She pulled on a pair of capri's and a blue t-shirt with a tiger on it. She slid on her converse and grabbed her keys.

"Rodriguez" She said as she answered her phone.

"Alanis…it's Emily, could you come and get me and JJ? Her husband and son are coming with us to the fair…if that's okay?" Emily said unsurely.

"Sure thing" Alanis laughed. She got the address and drove off.

**A/N: Okay, Hi guys! So, I know I suck at updating this story, when I update my Teen Wolf story all the time. I just got stuck for a while, but hopefully it'll change **

**ALSO, Who do you want Alanis with? Theories? Favorite couples? AND, Do you want a chapter of their day at the fair? Please review and tell me!**


	9. Chapter 9

"Get in" Alanis laughed as she pulled up to the curb outside of JJ's house. Prentiss got in the passenger's seat, and Will, JJ and Henry all got in the backseat.

"Hi, I'm Will" He said, holding his hand out. Alanis turned around and shook his hand.

"Alanis" She said, then turned back around and drove to the fair. "Derek! Where the heck are you?" She snapped as she answered her phone, warily eyeing Henry.

"Turn around, baby" He chuckled, and when she turned around, she smacked him upside the head.

"You are a…"She looked back at Henry and then at Derek "Jerk" And then she grabbed Emily's arm and dragged her through the arch entrance of the Fair.

"Aw, don't be like that" Derek pouted as he caught up to them. JJ and Will took Henry to a game while Emily went to get some cotton candy.

"You were supposed to wait for us" She rolled her eyes at him.

"I was, I just went to the bathroom" He laughed, hugging her.

"Okay" She said, laughing a little. She realized that she was acting like a weird girlfriend, and that just freaked her out. She wasn't his girlfriend, and didn't plan on being his girlfriend. Really, she thought of him as a brother…weird.

"Let's go play games" He said, grabbing her arm and dragging her over to where JJ and Will stood, watching Henry try to toss golfballs into fish bowls

"I love this game" Alanis crowed, paying the man and tossing a few golfballs, 2 of which landed in 2 different fish bowls.

Henry couldn't get any in the fish bowls, so when Alanis was handed 2 clear bags with a fish in each, she crouched down to the pouting child and smiled.

"Would you like a fish?" She asked, holding a bag out to him. He nodded excitedly and grabbed the bag, hugging her. "Aww" She cooed, hugging him back.

"Thank you, Ms. Alanis" He said, and then let go.

"You can call her Aunt…"JJ looked at Alanis unsure, and smiled when the other woman nodded.

"Thank you Aunt Alanis" He smiled, skipping over to his parents.

Emily popped up beside Derek and grinned.

"Candy!" Alanis cheered. Sometimes, she could be a kid, but she didn't really have a chance to be one when she was younger. Her parents used to argue and fight a lot, so she took care of herself and did the house chores while her daddy was at work. She shook those thoughts off before she could get sad.

"I want Candy too!" Henry whined, tugging on his parents arms. Everyone laughed and went over to the Candy vendor and bought some Candy. Alanis got gummie bears, and Henry got licorice.

They all walked around, playing games and getting on rides. When they got to the Ferris wheel, Alanis got on with Derek and they laughed and shook the basket they were sitting in, trying to freak the other out.

Alanis had never felt this comfortable around people, or this at home. She knew these people were her family, she just wished Hotch and Reid would have come along, but she had gotten a text from Reid earlier saying that he was flying to Las Vegas to his mother. Hotch wanted to spend the day with Jack, just the two of them.


	10. Chapter 10

Alanis walked through the bullpin, humming quietly to herself as she checked her email on her phone.

"We've got a case" Reid told her as he walked past. She nodded and went to the conference room, and sat next to the genius and Rossi.

"6 men. Beaten, cut up but left alive out in Chicago." JJ said, flipping through pictures. "Each body is found in the park, same marks and everything. Chicago PD can't find the person who is doing this" She sighed.

"Wheels up now" Hotch said, getting up and walking out of the room. The rest of the team followed suit, and grabbed their go bags, and all got into their cars. They drove to the airport and all got on the plane. Alanis and Reid sitting together on the couch, Rossi, Hotch, Prentiss and Morgan at the table and JJ across on another couch.

They went over the file, and talked.

"I think it's a hate crime" Reid piped up.

"Why?" Hotch asked.

"All of these men were out as being homosexuals" Reid said before getting interrupted.

"And in Chicago, Homosexuals do not have easy lives. A lot of hate crimes" Alanis said, thinking back to when she was younger. Her father is homosexual, and she could clearly remember him coming home some nights, beaten up.

~CM~

The team met the Chicago PD, and then broke off into pairs. Prentiss and Morgan went to the last abduction site, JJ manned phone calls, Reid and Hotch stayed and put together the evidence board, and Rossi and Alanis went to talk to the victims.

A few hours later, and they had their Unsub in the interrogation room. They knew that this man did it, but they needed a confession. And can you guess who is in there with him?

Alanis paced the small room, feeling her temper rising every second the guy was quiet and refusing to give a confession.

"We know you did it." Rossi said, rolling his sleeves up to his elbows and showing off his forearms. "And you know that we know you did it, so just give us the damn confession and stop wasting our time"

The guy stayed silent, and Alanis felt her eye twitch in frustration.

"You know that it's pointless right? Staying silent?" Rossi said, ignoring the woman in the room. "We know you did it, and we know why." At that, the guy looked up and raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah, we know. You hurt those men, because their gay and they were able to be open about it and you weren't, so you took out your anger and jealousy on them" Rossi nodded.

"No" The guy shook his head.

"Then why?" Rossi asked. The guy went back to being quiet.

Alanis had had enough. She walked over and slammed her hands down on the table and stared the guy right in his eyes. "I know why. You saw these men walking down the street, and you knew. You knew they were gay and it made you sick, right? Such an abomination. Am I getting warm?" She asked. "SHUT-UP!" She snapped when the guy opened his mouth. "It made you sick because you're homosexual too."

"You grew up in a religious Christian home" Rossi stated, eyeing Alanis out of the corner of his eye to make sure she didn't do something stupid, like smacking the guy.

"And you grew up believing it was an abomination. That a man can't be in love with another man, because it's against God. But, when you got older and realized you were attracted to men, you hid it. It repulsed you. And then you see these men walking down the street, or at an all male bar and you strike. You feel like you need to rid the earth of them" Alanis tilted her head to the side and stared right at the Unsub.

In the end, he ended up confessing. Rossi was getting ready to walk out of the interrogation room, but Alanis pushed him against a wall and narrowed her eyes at him.

"Enough is enough" She hissed at him. "We've been friends for a long time, David, and I'm not going to stand for this shit. If you have a damn problem with me, fine. We can talk it out. But you do not ignore me or treat me like I'm nothing to you." Her voice rose with every word she spoke. Her face inched closer to his during her yelling also. "We both know that that isn't true. It can't be, because I see things David. I know how you look at me when you think I'm not looking, and I want you to man the hell up and say something for once! I am not a mind reader, okay!? If you're jealous because I'm with another guy or did something with another guy, you either **do something to change that or you live with the decision you made before!**" She screamed the last line and then stalked out of the room.

No one said anything to her, because she's a pissed off woman and she carries a gun and none of them are stupid.

~CM~

A few weeks later, it's Christmas Eve and Alanis is hosting a Christmas party. She invited the entire BAU and their families, plus she invited her dad.

"Reid, the eggnog has rum in it" She told him when she saw him getting a cup.

"I know, but it's a holiday so I figure why not have some fun?" He smiled at her.

"Just be careful" She laughed and patted his shoulder, putting a bowl of freshly made caramel and chocolate popcorn on the table, and a platter of homemade cookies that Reid and Penelope helped her make. Now that was a story.

Alanis looked around, adding some last minute touches before more people showed up.

~CM~

When she sees David walking into the house with some woman on his arm, she starts hitting the eggnog, hard.

She stops when she starts stumbling a bit. She goes outside to get some air, and sits on her front steps. A note is pinned to a railing, and she picks it up. When she reads it, her face goes pale and her blood runs cold.

'_Aw, Christmas time. Around the time we met, huh love?  
I saw your reaction to him coming in the house with her. She's replacing you.  
Just come back to me, and I promise you won't have to deal with that anymore. _

_~K.'_

Her hands start shaking, and that's how Hotch and Derek find her a little bit later.

"Alanis?" Hotch asks cautiously. She silently holds out the note, and he takes it from her shaking hands while Derek hugs her. "Fuck" Hotch hisses when he reads it. He runs a hand over his face and then crouches down so he can look her in the eye. "Listen to me very carefully, we will take care of this"

"Where's Dave?" She asks, tugging away from Derek and curling into herself.

"I'll get him." Derek says, quickly going inside.

He finds Rossi over by the food table and pulls him aside, and tells him what's going on. The minute he says something about the note, David is outside snatching the note from Hotch's hand.

"Not again" He shakes his head. He crouches down and lays his hands on Alanis's shoulders. "Alanis, listen to me right now. Do not let this get to you. He won't be able to touch you. Don't let him make you feel like the victim again." His hands moved to her face, cupping her cheeks and making her look at him. "You are not weak, and I won't let you be scared, capiche?" She nodded a bit, closing her eyes then opening them. "That's a girl. Now, let's go back to the party and have some fun, okay?" He said, and helped her up when she nodded. They walked inside together, leaving Derek and Hotch outside to talk.

"What the hell is going on?" Derek demanded.

Hotch was silent and then he sighed. "The past coming back to bite us in the ass"

"What's that mean?" Derek asked

"We'll talk about it after Christmas" Hotch said sternly.


	11. Chapter 11

After the note at the Christmas party, Alanis has been on high alert. Every little noise had her jumping out of her skin, every shadow had her shaking in fear.

Finally, after Christmas and New Years was out of the way, the team was brought in to find out about Alanis's past.

Alanis woke up that morning, took a long hot shower and then got dressed. She pulled on dress pants, a purple button up and a black blazer. She pulled on her converse and yanked her hair up into a ponytail and put on light makeup. She grabbed her empty travel mug, her purse and was out the door. She drove to her favorite coffee shop and had them fill her mug with peppermint mocha and then she went to work.

She walked in with her mug in one hand and cellphone in the other, checking her email when she stopped, frozen, in front of her desk. Her mug slipped out of her hand, and a scream ripped through her throat as she stared at it.

"Alanis, what's wrong!?" Reid asked frantically, looking at the other agent with wide eyes.

"Damn it" Hotch cursed when he came out of his office. He walked down the steps and over to Alanis's desk and snatched the thing up off her desk. "Meeting, now" He practically roared.

Everyone made their way into the meeting room, Alanis being the last.

"I know you all are aware of the letter Agent Rodriguez received on the night of her party" Hotch said, pacing with his arms, still holding it, behind his back. "But I know you all do not know of her past" He stopped and looked at Alanis, who was shaking badly. "Now is the time that I think we need to tell you" He said.

'_It was…oh god, so long ago. Walking home from a party, she pulled her jacket closer and sped up when she heard footsteps behind her. She was almost home, almost home! When she was tackled to the ground. The perpetrator covered her mouth with a rag covered in chloroform. He then took her to an abandoned house. _

_He beat, screamed and starved her. She tried like hell for those 5 days that he had her, to fight back but she was starving to death and just too weak. _

_Finally, someone burst down the door and took him down while someone else untied her. She was then taken out of the house'_

"He spent a few years in prison, but then he was let out because of good behavior. Every time something's about to happen, he leaves one of these" Hotch tossed the clown puppet down on the table.

"Why this?" Prentiss asked.

"We're not truly sure" Rossi said. He stood beside Alanis with his hand on her shoulder, comforting her.

"What do you mean 'when something's about to happen'?" Derek asked, furrowing his brows.

Alanis took a deep breath and rubbed her forehead. "The first time he left one of those, was right before he took me. The next, my best friend was murdered, then my dog, then the boyfriend I had in college" Her voice was shaking with every word she spoke.

"Why does he keep coming back?" JJ asked.

"He's obsessed. From what you've said, Agent Rodriguez, he seems to kill anyone or thing that is close to you…maybe because to him you were taken away from him?" Reid said.

"But my dog?" She shook her head.

"Maybe that was a message…nothing will get in his way?" Derek suggested.

Alanis shook her head and covered her face with her hands. She couldn't believe it. It was starting again.

"Rossi, please escort Agent Rodriguez home and stay with her" Hotch said. "Take Reid with you" He tossed over his shoulder.

Both male's turned and escorted a shaking Alanis out of the building and to her car. Rossi drove while the other two were silent.

They got to her house and the door was open, so Rossi ordered them to stay in the car so he could go check things out. He pulled his gun out of his waist band and slowly made his way to the front door. He creaked it open and stepped inside.

He searched every corner of that house, twice, before he deemed it safe. Alanis walked in and went straight to the kitchen. She started pulling ingredients out of the cabinet.

"What's she-"

"Shhh" Rossi held his finger to his lips and motioned for Reid to follow him to the living room. Both Male agents sat down on the couch and Rossi let out a sigh. "She cooks when she's upset. This whole mess has her terrified, and cooking is the only way for her to let it out" He told Reid, running a hand through his slightly graying hair.

"You've been working on her case?"

"I always come to help her. I was the one who untied and rescued her from the nut in the first place" Rossi said.

"That's how she knows you and Hotch"

"Yes. But make no mistake about this one thing Reid. She made it into the FBI of her own merit and not because she has us as friends" Rossi stared at him seriously until Reid nodded.

For a while they just listened and watched Alanis putter around the kitchen, cooking god only knows what.


	12. Chapter 12

Alanis was quiet as she cooked, until she decided the silence was going to drive her up the wall and grabbed her laptop, quickly logging onto her Spotify and playing her cooking playlist.

The sounds of Frankie Avalon sounded throughout the house.

'Hey, Venus, oh, Venus

Venus, if you will  
Please send a little girl for me to thrill  
A girl who wants my kisses and my arms  
A girl with all the charms of you

Venus, make her fair  
A lovely girl with sunlight in her hair  
And take the brightest stars up in the skies  
And place them in her eyes for me

Venus, goddess of love that you are  
Surely the things I ask  
Can't be too great a task'

Alanis sang along, bopping to the music as she stirred the pasta in the pot.

She would happily admit to being a fan of almost every type of music. The Oldies being her favorite. The likes of Buddy Holly, Frankie Avalon, Jerry Lee Lewis, and The Big Bopper.

She hummed and twirled before stirring her sauce and checking on the chicken in the oven.

Reid and Rossi listened to her sing from the living room, and both men smiled a bit.

"She's good" Reid stated.

"With good taste in music" Rossi smiled and shook his head. He loved the fact that Alanis, unlike most women her age, had an eclectic taste in music. She preferred older music over today's hits, but the girl could sing some Adele.

"Classic" Reid nodded.

Rossi agreed, and stood up. "Is that Lemon Chicken I smell cooking?" He called out, walking into the kitchen.

"Yes" Alanis nodded. She was icing a chocolate cake.

"Are you okay?" Rossi asked her quietly. She stopped what she was doing and thought for a minute.

"Not really, but I'm trying not to think about it because, Dave, if I do…" She trailed off, shaking her head. She went back to icing the cake, making little rosebuds on it with pink frosting.

"I know, I know" He walked behind her, gently taking the icing tubes from her and setting them on the counter before wrapping his arms around her middle. "But you know that I'm not going to let anything happen to you..." He whispered.

She closed her eyes and nodded. She knew Dave wouldn't let her get hurt, he promised her that when he saved her before. But she also knew that Dave couldn't keep everyone she loves safe.

She relished a bit in his arms being around her, until a dinging of an oven timer and she ripped herself out of his arms to grab the pan of chicken out of the oven.

Dave sighed and shook his head before stirring her sauce. "Sausage in the sauce?" He asked

"Yes" She smiled a bit before wiping her hands on her apron. "Reid, are you hungry?" She called out.

"Starving, actually." Reid smiled at her from the kitchen doorway.

They all sat down when the food was ready. Alanis and Rossi drinking wine while Reid drank a coke.

"This is amazing" Reid said after swallowing a bite.

"Thank you. My grandmother taught me to cook" Alanis said, taking a small bite before pushing her plate away. She took another sip of her wine. "I made a chocolate cake" She shrugged.

"Homemade?" Reid asked, smiling.

"Yes" She laughed.

Rossi sat quietly as he ate, watching the two younger agents talk with each other. He smiled into his wine glass. They were a lot like siblings. They laughed and joked with each other, it was endearing.

Alanis looked up and caught Rossi staring. She smiled at him before grabbing them each a slice of cake.

~AY~

Once they were all stuffed, the guys cleaned up the kitchen while Alanis went upstairs. She sighed and sat on her bed with her heads in her hand.

She sat there for a few minutes more before getting up and going into her bathroom. She turned the shower on and stripped down, hopping into the hot water. She felt some of the tension ease out of her muscles as the hot water beat down on her.

She stood there for a while before washing her hair and her body then getting out.

She wrapped herself in a towel and walked back into her room and changing into a pair of sweatpants and a flannel shirt. She combed her hair and braided it back in a single braid and then slipped on her slippers. She made her way back downstairs and sat on the couch.

Reid was in the recliner, napping. Rossi was on the couch beside her, watching the TV.

~~AY~~

Sometimes during the night, Alanis had fallen asleep with her head resting against Rossi's shoulder. When she woke up, he was practically wrapped around her like a Koala. She smiled a bit and snuggled back in before a cough broke her out of her happy bubble.

"I hate to be the bringer of bad news but…another note" Reid held up a piece of paper.

Alanis stared at him with a hint of fear in her eyes. He read the note quietly to her.

'_**Aww my love, **_

_**Having those men in our home? Naughty. But don't fret, I'll make sure they leave and then we can be happy once again**_

_**~K'**_

She shook her head frantically, shaking Dave to wake him.

"What's going on?" He demanded, rubbing his eyes. Reid handed him the note while Alanis was looking frantically around the room. "Fuck" Rossi hissed, throwing the paper on the table and grabbing his gun off the table. He checked to make sure it was loaded before looking at Reid. "Call the team" then he looked at Alanis. "Get your gun, and if I tell you to hide, hide" He said.

Alanis nodded and went over to her Coat rack, grabbing her gun out of its holster and making sure it was loaded before going back to Rossi and sitting on the couch.

Terror. That's what she was feeling. This guy was close enough that he knew who was in her house. He was ballsy enough to leave a note, taking a serious chance with 2 male FBI agents in the home. It made her terrified. What if he had been in her home? Oh god…


	13. Chapter 13

A thump sounded from somewhere upstairs, causing all three agents to snap their heads up.

To say that Alanis was scared would be a HUGE understatement. Terrified is more like it.

When David flipped her couch over, she thought he'd truly lost it. And then he ripped the bottom out of it.

"Get in" he commanded in a quiet voice. She gave him a look and he narrowed his eyes, causing her to nod frantically and hide inside the couch. She could hear them slowly make their way up the steps. The further away their footsteps got, the closer she clutched the gun in her hands.

There's always a moment in someone's life where they are completely filled with terror. They shake so horribly that they practically vibrate, and they stay rooted right where they are or they run away.

She screamed when she heard a gunshot, followed by something, or someone, falling down the stairs. She covered her mouth with one hand, clenched her eyes shut, while clutching the Glock in her other hand. Frantically, she tried to keep her breathing quiet so that no one could hear her.

The sound of shouting and then slamming had her letting out a scream, which she tried to smother. She started shaking so hard and felt as if she was going to vomit.

"NO!" A voice, Rossi, yelled out just before she was yanked out from the couch, and she came face to face with the person who's haunted her for years now.

"Hello pet" He purred before throwing her to the floor and turning towards Rossi.

Alanis didn't even know when the men had come downstairs. She watched as her worst nightmare went after the one man who she's loved since she was a teen.

"DAVE!" She screamed before picking herself up off the floor and launching herself at Kyle and knocking them both to the ground. She grunted when he flipped them so he was on top.

"Little bitch! Trying to hurt me?" He growled, lifting a fist up. Alanis clenched her eyes shut, waiting for the painful blow…but it never came. Kyle was yanked off of her and thrown across the room.

When Alanis looked up, she came face to face with Reid. He held a hand out and helped her up. A shot was heard, causing both Agents to look over. Kyle had a glock in his hand, and Dave was holding his side and blood was seeping through his shirt.

She felt rage take over her at the site, and launched herself towards Kyle. She managed to wrestler the gun out of his hand, and gets him down to the floor on his stomach.

"You mother fucker!" She wailed, punching his back. "How dare you!? How can you continue to keep hurting me!? Why can't you just leave me alone!?" She was screaming by now.

Kyle said nothing, just laid there and took it. Alanis stopped, still sitting on his back, breathing heavily through her nose. It left her weak.

Kyle managed to get the pocketknife off his belt without her seeing, and he quickly flipped the knife open and flipped onto his back which sent Alanis flying to the ground. He grabbed her by the leg when she tried to crawl away.

"Let her go" The clicking of a gun's safety drew both of their attention. Reid stood about 10 feet away, Glock aimed right at Kyle's head. "Let. Her. GO!" He screamed.

Kyle slowly let go of her leg, which caused Reid to momentarily lower the gun. It was enough time for Kyle to plunge his knife into Alanis' upper thigh.

The female agent fell to the ground, groaning in pain. A gun shot rang through the air, and she couldn't hold back a scream when blood and brain matter prayed onto her. She looked up and saw Reid, staring in shock at what he'd done.

Hearing Rossi hiss in pain caused Reid to jump into action and call 911.

In no time, the house was flooded with cops, paramedics and detectives. A coroner came and hauled Kyle's body away. Alanis and Rossi were rushed to the hospital, and Reid went with them.

Rossi's wound wasn't as bad as it had looked. It was just a graze. Alanis though, her wound was pretty deep in her thigh. She lucked out though; the knife missed a major artery by just a few centimeters.

She was kept in the hospital for a night, just so they could keep an eye on her wound. When she was released the next day, it was Hotch who picked her up.

"Agent Rodriguez" He opened the car door for her as she hobbled to the car with a cane.

"Hotch" She nodded before struggling to get in her seat. Hotch tried to help bit she shot him a look that made him raise his hands in surrender and walk to the driver's seat.

It was a quiet ride. When they stopped at a stop light, Hotch looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "I'm glad you're okay" his voice was quiet.

"I'm always okay" She looked out the windshield.

"I know. You're a very strong woman, Rodriguez." The light changed colors, and Hotch sighed as he drove. "Most wouldn't be able to handle what you've been able to. You've looked death in the face twice in your life, and you survived."

She was silent as he spoke.

"I'm just-I'm glad you're okay" And that was that. They drove in a comfortable silence to her house.

She had to get her stuff ready for Monday. Alanis had insisted on going back to work right away, ignoring the recommendations of taking a few weeks off to sort through everything. She didn't want that. If she thought about it, she'd sink and she refused to do that.

The team was waiting for them when they walked through her door. Prentiss, JJ and Penelope all hugged her with tears in their eyes, so happy to know their friend was okay.

Next to hug her was Derek, who crushed her to his chest. "I'm so fucking happy you're okay, baby" he whispered to her before kissing her temple and handing her over to Reid.

Both Agents looked at each other, and Alanis teared up as she hugged him tight. "Thank you, for saving my life" She sniffed.

"I'd do it again" He said sincerely, feeling emotional himself as he hugged his friend…his sister.

"I'm sorry that you'll have to live with that memory, though" She murmured.

"I'm not. I learned that sometimes to one person has to die in order to save many lives" He smiled small at her. She nodded and patted his cheek.

Her eyes went to Rossi and that's when the tears started to fall. She barely registered the others leaving them alone in the living room.

"Don't cry" He said, walking over and wrapping his arms around her. He made soft shushing sounds as he rubbed his hands up and down her back. "You're safe, I'm safe, Reid's safe. He can never hurt you again" Rossi said in her ear.

"I was so scared Dave! I th-thought…I thought I was going to lose you" She voiced her fear as tears steadily fell down her cheeks. "I can't lose you" She sobbed.

"You won't. Darlin', no one can take David Rossi out" He joked. She sniffled and looked up at him.

"Cocky" She hiccupped out a weak laugh. He smiled his heart breaking smile.

"And you know you love it"

"I do" She said softly, slowly calming down.

He held her a while, slowly rocking them side to side as they stood there. Her arms were wrapped around his waist, careful of the graze on his side.

"I love you" Rossi spoke.

"I know you do Dave, you're one of my best friends"

"No Alanis, I mean I love you. I love you so much, and seeing you hurt just killed me."

She froze, not believing it.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: Don't own.**

**A/N: Super short chapter, but eh.**

She frantically shook her head and backed away. "No Dave."

"No?" He looked at her, confusion and hurt marring his handsome face.

"No." She said firmly.

"But Alanis-"

"No Dave. You can't….you can't just tell me this now. Not after…no" She frantically shook her head again. "Now isn't the time."

"Alanis, I love you and I know you love me."

"Exactly Dave, I **do **love you. I always have and I know I always will. But…but I can't. Right now isn't our time, Dave."

"What does that mean?" He shook his head with a sigh.

"It means that no, not right now. Maybe in the future but not now. We were both just hurt, it's emotional right now. I can't be sure you mean this. So we wait and see if you still feel the same." She kissed his cheek and walked away from him.


End file.
